2026 Houston Texans Team Preview

By Brian Murphy, Thursday, July 30, 2026 1:07:12 PM EDT

DeMeco Ryans has guided Houston to three straight playoff
appearances since taking over as head coach in 2023, posting a
combined 32 -19 regular -season record and going 3 -3 in the
postseason. Before joining the Texans, Ryans spent time on San
Francisco's defensive staff, serving as the 49ers' defensive coordinator
in 2021 and 2022. His path to coaching began as a player; he was a
second-round linebacker taken in 2006.
Nick Caley returns as offensive coordinator after coming to Houston
from the Rams, where he served as both tight ends coach and pass
game coordinator. Prior to that, he spent eight seasons in New
England's system, working his way up from offensive assistan t to tight
ends coach between 2015 and 2022. His offense bumped to 13th in
points scored (404) and 18th in total yards (5,808) last season.

On the other side of the ball, the Texans continue to be one of the
league's elite defensive units. Houston allowed a league-low 295 points
in 2025 while ranking second in yards allowed (5,079), the fourth
consecutive year the defense has improved in that category. Matt
Burke, entering his fourth season as defensive coordinator, has been a
fixture in NFL coaching circles since 2006 and previously ran Miami's
defense in 2017 and 2018.
Offense

The Texans had almost the same run (44.9%)/pass (55.1%) ratio over
the past two seasons. Last year, they finished ranked 22nd in rushing
yards (1,852) last season, with ball carriers gaining 3.9 yards per rush
and nine scores on the ground. They averaged 27.9 carries per game.
Houston bumped to 14th in passing yards (3,956) with 24 touchdowns
and nine interceptions. They gained 6.8 yards per pass attempt, down
from 7.7 in 2023 and 6.9 in 2024. Their offensive line allowed 31 sacks,
23 fewer than in 2024. Despite better protectio n, their completion rate
(62.5%) remained below that of the best teams in the NFL.
Quarterbacks

QB C.J. Stroud, HOU

C.J. Stroud projects for 3940 passing yards, 25 passing TDs, and 11 INTs, with 237 rushing yards and 1 rushing TDs adding fantasy value for the Houston Texans. This is a projection-derived draft blurb and requires player-ID and team validation before CMS import.

QB Davis Mills, HOU

Davis Mills projects for 182 passing yards, 1 passing TDs, and 1 INTs, with 14 rushing yards and 0 rushing TDs adding fantasy value for the Houston Texans. This is a projection-derived draft blurb and requires player-ID and team validation before CMS import.

RB David Montgomery, HOU

David Montgomery projects for 227 carries for 976 yards and 11 TDs, plus 22 catches for 162 yards and 1 TDs in the Houston Texans offense. This projection-derived outlook should be reviewed against the depth chart, ADP context, and player-ID match report before CMS import.

RB Woody Marks, HOU

Woody Marks projects for 147 carries for 602 yards and 3 TDs, plus 28 catches for 203 yards and 2 TDs in the Houston Texans offense. This projection-derived outlook should be reviewed against the depth chart, ADP context, and player-ID match report before CMS import.

RB Jawhar Jordan, HOU

Jawhar Jordan projects for 4 carries for 17 yards and 0 TDs, plus 1 catches for 7 yards and 0 TDs in the Houston Texans offense. This projection-derived outlook should be reviewed against the depth chart, ADP context, and player-ID match report before CMS import.

RB Josh Pitsenberger, HOU

Josh Pitsenberger projects for 9 carries for 36 yards and 0 TDs, plus 1 catches for 7 yards and 0 TDs in the Houston Texans offense. This projection-derived outlook should be reviewed against the depth chart, ADP context, and player-ID match report before CMS import.